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[brainsoup]

Hi... Ive been using MC for quite a few years now but I know I havent even scratched the surface of its features... so I was wondering if anyone could answer these questions for me because I am thinking of building a PC based around MC just for entertainment purposes.

- Does MC work with 2 video cards (so one can display to a TV for theater view/ full screen playback and one to a monitor for browsing library and occasionally accessing the net)

-I live in the UK where we have Freeview digital TV. Hauppage make a digital TV card that decodes these channels... does this (or will this in the future) work with MC?

-related to the previous point... the card comes with a remote... would this work with MC. If not, where/how do I make MC work with a remote (remember I'm in UK!)

-When MC is recording TV does it compress the video? If so what codec does it use?

Sorry if these questions are a bit obvious but I couldnt find the answers... also I would like to hear from anyone who has already done this (I'm guessing that most people on here already have!) and what I should expect!

Thanks

Chris

[Mr ChriZ]

-related to the previous point... the card comes with a remote... would this work with MC. If not, where/how do I make MC work with a remote (remember I'm in UK!)

Howdie.
Theres a program called Girder, which was still available free last time i looked, although it depended on which part of their site you went too.  It's like a all out control management system, and with a bit of tinkering you can get it to control media center 
I used to use to use my Haupaugge remote to control media center, but the remote was naff so really can't be arsed any more
 

[Mr ChriZ]

- Does MC work with 2 video cards (so one can display to a TV for theater view/ full screen playback and one to a monitor for browsing library and occasionally accessing the net)

Why not have Media Center on one screen playing TV, and Visualisations, and your work/web on the other?
You won't need the TV to be displaying whilst your changing Channels,
or switching tracks etc,
Of course if you've got three screens.... that would be kinda funky...
May be possible dunno!

[brainsoup]

Why not have Media Center on one screen playing TV, and Visualisations, and your work/web on the other?
You won't need the TV to be displaying whilst your changing Channels,
or switching tracks etc,
Of course if you've got three screens.... that would be kinda funky...
May be possible dunno!

Thats what I wanted... thought I would need 2 video cards for that...  or am i I getting confused? I just remember the last time I used my laptop on my TV the display was so poor that the text had to be very big to see... so using MC in library mode would be almost impossible....

[jgreen]

Could somebody post a link to the free girder?  They seem to be demanding $19 at this point.

[Mr ChriZ]

dont quote me on that, it was a while ago!

[Mr ChriZ]

Neh sadly they noticed the hole in their armour there, used to be the original home page Girder.nl, but now it points you to Promixis!
Not that I should be pointing these things out regardless   

Guess it's cheaper than buying a IRMan remote still tho.

[Mr ChriZ]

Thats what I wanted... thought I would need 2 video cards for that...  or am i I getting confused? I just remember the last time I used my laptop on my TV the display was so poor that the text had to be very big to see... so using MC in library mode would be almost impossible....

All I'm saying is Media Center won't need to do anything,
Windows allows you to put Windows on each screen maximised.
I think it's an integral part of the OS, although it may be a part of the Graphics Driver.
Either way you should be sorted...